Port Moody considers 30 km/h speed limits, other transportation changes
The city is searching for public feedback on five strategies that will shape the future of transportation in the city
It’s going to take more than a couple of big moves to change transportation habits in Port Moody, the city says.
On Monday, the city proposed five strategies to achieve its climate action targets and encourage commuters to take sustainable modes of transportation.
City-wide speed limit reductions, paid parking requirements, and a reallocation of road space are among the many areas where Port Moody is looking for public approval before moving ahead with its master transportation plan, which is scheduled to go in front of council for a final time this fall.
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“The big moves are intended to manage demand for transportation, reduce vehicle travel, and help Port Moody make significant and measurable progress towards achieving the targets of our climate action plan,” the city stated in a release.
Speed limits on all residential streets in Port Moody may be reduced to 30 km/h. The limits on certain arterial and collector routes, roadways that connect homes and businesses to busier roads, may also drop to 40 km/h or lower.
Noons Creek Drive, for example, is classified as a collector route. But sections of the road have varying speed limits — the Coquitlam portion of the road and the stretch below Mountain Meadows Elementary are posted at 50 km/h, but between the school and the Coquitlam border it’s 30 km/h.
“Research has shown, and I think people know this, that slower driving speeds leads to lower emissions and improves traffic safety along the street,” said Jeff Moi, the city’s general manager of engineering and operations.
Port Moody also envisions converting a minimum of 10 percent of its road space for green infrastructure or public spaces, and building new pedestrian overpasses that connect to parks and transit hubs like a SkyTrain station.
Pay parking, which the city has already introduced in certain areas across town, is included as an action item — an aspect that Moi said he believes will increase driver turnover, free up more parking stalls and reduce vehicle emissions.
“The goal is to make it easier to find parking, so there’s less circulation,” Moi said.
The city initially endorsed its master transportation plan in 2017.
Three years later, Port Moody endorsed a climate action plan, which pushed the deadline of some transportation goals to 2030. One major goal is to have people walk, cycle or take transit for 40 percent of trips within the city by that year.
By 2045, the city is also hoping to reduce the vehicle distance driven by Port Moody residents from 10 kilometres per day to seven.
Nearly 30 “Big Move ideas,” guiding principles to shape an updated transportation plan, were presented to the public in March and April 2022. The results from that public engagement were shared last May, and now the city is holding its second community survey.
“We’re excited about the Big Moves we’ve put together,” Moi said. “It would be great to get some people’s feedback on it.”
You can provide feedback on the city’s latest master transportation plan here until July 14.
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